Lawsuits dropped against former bishop in Iowa

Posted:
Friday, May 29, 2009 9:21 AM EDT

DAVENPORT (AP)--An attorney for a dozen men who claim they were abused by former Roman Catholic Bishop Lawrence Soens says they have dropped their lawsuits.

Craig Levien says the lawsuits, which were filed in Scott County District Court in Davenport, were dismissed without prejudice last week. He says it's an attempt to free up the Roman Catholic Church to punish Soens.

Levien says in other cases, the church has avoided taking disciplinary action against a priest if there is a pending lawsuit.

Soens was accused of sexually abusing students at Iowa City Regina High School in the 1950s and 1960s when he was its principal.

As part of a bankruptcy settlement, the Davenport diocese had to submit reports about Soens to the Vatican.

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